Drive extension for outboard motors with rotary speed control



p 1959 J. A. JAROMY 2,903,903

DRIVE EXTENSION FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS WITH ROTARY SPEED CONTROL Filed Aug. 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 0/0/22? H. 0/01 my J. A. JAROMY Sept. 15, 1959 DRIVE EXTENSION FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS WITH ROTARY SPEED CONTROL Filed Aug. 28, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR (Moi/2H. e/a/twg Unite States Patent Ofiice Patented Sept. '15, 1959 DRIVE EXTENSION FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS WITH ROTARY SPEED CONTROL John A. Jaromy, La Crosse, Wis.

Application August 28, 1957, Serial No. 680,732

Claims. 01. 74-471 This invention relates to a control extension for outboard motors and more particuiarly to a drive extension for outboard motors with a rotary speed control.

It is the present practice to mount an outboard motor on the stern of a boat and which motor is provided with a tiller handle which is rotatable about its axis in the control of the speed of the boat and which upon lateral swinging movement thereof imparts lateral swinging movement to the motor and the propeller carried thereby for effecting guiding of the boat.

By the use of the present tiller handle which is relatively short, an operator is required to sit at the stern of the boat in adjacency to the outboard motor.

It has heretofore been recognized that such position of the operator is unfavorable under different circumstances. Thus, for example, maximum balancing of the boat by the operator being seated substantially in ad Vance of the motor or adjacent the center of the boat, at which position he is enabled to stand up with better vision of boat impeding obstacles in the water. Furthermore, such advanced position of the operator provides better balance of the boat.

The aforementioned objections to outboard motor control by the relatively short tiller handle which is accessible only at the stern of the boat have heretofore been recognized and attempts have been made to overcome same by the provision of extension handles 'operatively connected with the usual tiller handle and which were accessible for control of the motor at a position substantially in advance of the stern of the boat. Such prior proposed structures, however, were laterally swingable with the tiller handle and required a substantial lateral movement of the outer ends of the extension handles for even a relatively small angular movement of the tiller handle and accordingly failed to provide rapid short turns of the boat.

It is a primary object of the present invention to pro vide an extension handle for the laterally swingable tiller handle on an outboard motor having a novel connection with the tiller handle whereby the latter is moved laterally upon movement of the free end of the extension handle in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal center line of the boat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel flexible connection between the extension handle and the usual tiller handle which is capable of being readily engaged with and removed from the usual tiller handle.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an extension handle for an outboard tiller handle which is simple in construction, durable and dependable in use, and which is capable of manufacture at relatively low cost.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be come apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental perspective view showing an outboard motor secured to the stern of a boat and which motor is provided with the usual control tiller handle, and the view further showing the improved extension handle operatively engaged with the tiller handle and wherein a motor starter cable is shown with its outer end connected to the free end of the extension handle.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a flexible connection between the tiller handle and the extension handle, with same partially in axial section.

' Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a clamp engageable over one end of said connection.

Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary top plan views of a boat having an outboard motor mounted on the stem end thereof and showing the extension handle in different positions between both extreme positions of the tiller handle, the starter cable being omitted in these views.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, an outboard motor 10 is shown in Fig. 1 supported on the stern of a boat B and which motor is provided with the usual tiller handle 11 which is rotatable for control of the speed of the motor and which is laterally s-Wingable for guiding the boat.

The present invention comprises a cylindrical flexible member 12 which as shown in Fig. 2 is provided with a cylindrical bore 12 of relatively large diameter opening through one end thereof and which is of a length greater than one half the length of the member, and a second cylindrical bore 12. opening through the opposite end of the member and which is of substantially less diameter than the bore 12 The member 12 is adapted to interconnect the tiller handle 11 and the elongated extension handle 14 which preferably comprises a piece of aluminum pipe.

The member 12 is preferably of rubber as indicated in Fig. 2 with one end portion thereof reinforced as indicated at 12 and the bores 12 and 12 merge into each other as at 12.

The outer end of the tiller handle 11 is frictionally re ceived within the bore 12 and one end of the extension handle 14 is received within bore 12 and frictionally retained therein by means of a clamp 13 which surrounds the adjacent end of member 12 and which includes opposed fianges 13 through which extends a screw 13 for effecting frictional engagement with one end of handle 14 and the inner wall of the bore 12.".

The outer end of the extension :handle 14 is provided with a hand grip 15 of plastic or rubber and a rope or cable 16 has one end thereof connected to the hand grip 15 and the opposite end thereof connected to a motor starter 17, the cable being readily accessible to restart the motor from the operating end of the extension handle 14, should same stop.

As is indicated in Fig. 4, present tiller handles have their center lines C disposed at an angle to the center line C of the boat which makes possible the operation of the present novel extension handle.

Further, as indicated in Fig. 4, the motor is disposed for straight line forward movement of the boat. According to Fig. 5 the hand grip has been pulled forwardly with the axis C of the tiller handle 11 disposed parallel with the center line C of the boat and with the center line C of the motor disposed at an angle to the center line of the boat which results in the boat turning into a left curve.

According to Fig. 6, the hand grip 15 has been pushed rearwardly with an elbow bend in the member 12 with the motor 10 disposed in opposite angular relation to Fig. 5 and in such position the cruising direction will be to ward the right.

'Fig. 7 discloses that the negotiation of a sharp turn to the left requires a different maneuvering, when pulling the hand grip 15 until the center line C moves toward the center line C; the result is only a mild curve to the left. To force the tiller handle 11 further toward the right when the operator is facing cruising direction, the operator's left hand, which holds the grip 15, must exert a slight side squeeze which will force the tiller handle through the dead point toward the right and then the handle 14 would be pushed toward the rear of the boat as in Fig. 8.

When cruising in fast Waters and both left and right sharp turns are necessary for precision movement such as required in the presence of underwater obstacles, then the grip 15 is held by the operators right hand and his left hand slides 20 to 25 inches backward on the extension handle 14, resulting in an etfective lever action either to the left or to the right.

An important feature of the invention is the fact that in all of the angular positions of the tiller handle as shown in Figs. to 8, the operating hand grip 15 remains substantially in the center line C of the boat B and in all operations such grip is disposed close to the operators side and the boat may be easily steered with slight movement of the grip lengthwise of the boat and without lateral swinging movement thereof as was necessary in prior constructions.

When the outboard motor is to be started for the first time on a particular day, the operator starts the motor from the rear boat seat by pulling out the chuck and then starts the motor with the starter 17. After the chuck is pushed back and the motor runs slowly in forward gear, the operator may either take a seat in the middle of the boat or he may stand in the middle of the boat and he holds the grip in his left hand. By turning the grip slightly with a rotation movement he speeds up the motor to the desired cruising speed while maintaining the direction of the boat, by a little push or pull on the grip backward or forward. Stopping the motor is as simple as without the extension by merely turning the grip in the opposite direction until the motor stops.

Starting the motor after it has been warmed up canbe done in the middle of the boat by slight rotation of the extension handle and a pull on the cable 16.

Having set forth the invention in accordance with a single specific structural embodiment thereof, what is claimed and desired to be secured by US. Letters Patent 1. Means for operative association with the relatively short tiller handle of an outboard motor, comprising a relatively long extension handle, and an elongated flexible tubular member supported by one end of said extension handle and the opposite end of the tubular member being adapted for connection to the free end of the tiller handle, and said flexible tubular member being laterally bendable upon movement of the extension handle, whereby said tiller handle is capable of movement throughout the angular range thereof with the hand engageable other end of said extension handle remaining substantially in the longitudinal center line of a boat on which the outboard motor is mounted.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said elongated flexible tubular member is provided with a bore opening through one end thereof for frictionally receiving the free end of said tiller handle, and the wall of said bore being reinforced, whereby the tubular member is connected to said tiller handle upon pulling the same over the free end thereof.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said flexible tubular member has the capacity of transmitting rotation of said extension handle to said tiller handle for controlling the speed of the outboard motor.

4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said flexible tubular member provides for movement of said extension handle vertically in any direction, whereby the tiller handle is capable of steering control by the extension handle, whether the operator of the boat is standing up or lying down in the boat.

5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein said extension handle is provided with a hand grip on the free end thereof, and a motor starting cable having one end thereof secured to said hand grip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 906,789 Floyd Dec. 15, 1908 1,452,296 Howard Apr. 17, 1923 1,853,504 Butler Apr. 12, 1932 2,118,209 Linthwaite May 24, 1938 2,618,985 Morey Nov. 25, 1952 2,627,836 Buske Feb. 10, 1953 2,743,624 Schroeder May 1, 1956 2,747,425 Qhlau May 29, 1956 

